Korean by blood, Filipino at heart

“I Love OPM’s” Grand Touristar and newly-minted Star Music artist Yohan Hwang proves how much he loves the Philippines

As long and winding as Yohan Hwang’s road to releasing his
eponymous album was, it doesn’t seem like it’ll take him long to become a
bona fide star.

‘Yohan Hwang’

The new album is composed of nine radio-ready tracks bound to earn a
place on many a music lover’s playlist. Also, it doesn’t hurt that he
can work a crowd like it’s nobody’s business.
When he met with the press at the album launch last July 25, Yohan
won them over easily with his charm and, of course, his impeccable
singing voice – both of which helped him win on ABS-CBN’s televised
singing contest “I Love OPM” in 2016.
As one of Yohan’s prizes was a record deal with Star Music, he spent
some time in recording studios after his big win, working on new
material under the supervision of producer Rox Santos.
Eventually, Yohan released two versions of the Sugarfree original
“Wag Ka Nang Umiyak” – one in Filipino and another in Korean. Both were
released on Spotify and other digital music platforms fairly quickly,
but his fans had to wait a year and a half for his album to drop.

“Binigyan nila ako ng Filipino songs which I translated into English.
Then I asked some professional Korean songwriters for help. Fifty-fifty
kami. We did real collaboration work,” Yohan said. “It was also like
that when it came to choosing the songs that would be part of the album.
I picked half and the other half were songs recommended to me by Star
Music.”
“Sabi ni Yohan sa akin at the time na walang direct translation ang
ibang Filipino words sa English or Korean,” shared Rox. “So sinigurado
nila ng mga tumulong sa kanya mag-translate na kahit hindi direct
translation ang ginawa nila, na-capture pa rin nila ’yung essence nu’ng
original.”
Yohan is full-blooded Korean, but he’s fluent enough in Filipino to
translate OPM hits into English. Yohan picked up the language in the
three years he spent pursuing a degree in Education at La Salle College
Antipolo.

Rox Santos (Over All Album Producer) & Yohan Hwang

Rox Santos (Over All Album Producer) & Yohan Hwang

Rox Santos (Over All Album Producer) & Yohan Hwang

Rox Santos (Over All Album Producer) & Yohan Hwang

Rox Santos (Over All Album Producer) & Yohan Hwang

“My Dad is a Christian missionary. He invited me to come here for a
vacation and dinala niya ako sa Antipolo. Nagandahan ako sa lugar kaya I
decided to stay here. Nu’ng pumasok ako sa college, tinuruan ako ng mga
kaklase ko kumanta ng Filipino songs, like ‘Ako’y Sa’Yo, Ika’y Akin.’
When they heard me sing, they encouraged me to keep singing. They told
me I should join a contest, which is why I auditioned for ‘I Love OPM,’”
he said. “I didn’t expect that I would become a singer in this country.
When I look back on my journey, I feel happy and thankful.”
Yohan isn’t the first Korean to establish a career in the Philippine
showbiz scene. But he says he’s nothing like Ryan Bang and Sandara Park.

Rox Santos (Over All Album Producer) & Yohan Hwang

“I’m looking forward to doing another album under Star Music after
this one. OPM singer ako. I think I’m the first Korean OPM singer sa
Pilipinas. Ryan is a comedian. Puro comedy ang ginagawa niya sa ‘Banana
Sundae’ and ‘It’s Showtime.’ Si Sandara naman was more of an actress
when she was based here. Magkaka-iba talaga kaming tatlo.”
His “I Love OPM” stint was actually his second attempt at stardom.
When he was younger, he tried and failed to join a singing competition
in Korea. He’s still open to having a career over there, but for now he
says his focus is mostly on growing his fanbase in the Philippines.
Aside from releasing music by himself, Yohan hopes to work with OPM
legends Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, and Ogie Alcasid someday. He
looks forward to collaborating with Bugoy Drilon, Jona and Morissette.
Yohan’s album – which features Filipino and Korean versions of the
songs “Ikaw,” “Kung Ako Na Lang Sana,” “You’ve Made Me Stronger,” and
“Mahal Ko O Mahal Ako” – is already available for streaming on all
digital music platforms in the Philippines. It’s also set to drop on
Melon, South Korea’s biggest online music store, a fact that will go a
long way towards helping him make a name there.

Rox Santos (Over All Album Producer) & Yohan Hwang

“Posible po ’yun, lalo na po ’pag lumabas na sa Melon ’yung mga
singles niya. Meron po tayong mga digital plans and marketing para mas
ma-push natin ’yung songs niya sa Korea,” Rox revealed.
“Maybe I can go back and forth from Korea to Manila, like Sandara
does. Honestly, I had an offer to guest in a Korean show, last year pa,
medyo matagal na. But I was very busy then so I had to turn the offer
down. Pero someday, maybe I’ll get the chance to do something like
that,” Yohan shared.
That said, Yohan is becoming more and more Filipino every day. He’s
proof that one doesn’t need to have Filipino blood to love the
Philippines. At his album launch, he expressed his desire to become a
member of the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), the country’s
leading and most respected group of Filipino professional singers.
“Why not?” he asked. “Even though Korean ako, pwede naman siguro akong sumali doon. Pusong Pinoy kasi talaga ako.”

Monday, June 5, 2017

From Pilipinas Got Talent to We Love OPM, Kaye Cal has come a long way and is now ready to unleash her acoustic soul as she launches her first solo album under Star Music.

Kaye initially went mainstream as the lead vocalist of Ezra Band, a Pilipinas Got Talent Season 1 grand finalist. She has eventually emerged as a solo performer, doing covers in her YouTube channel, recording singles for Star Music’s OPM Fresh and Himig Handog, and being part of Nyoy Volante’s team in We Love OPM.

Kaye’s self-titled album has nine tracks with two originals, three covers and four bonus hits. She composed the two original songs, “Rosas” and “Mahal Ba Ako ng Mahal Ko.”

This album also includes some of her popular covers like all-time OPM favorites “Why Can’t It Be”, “Ikaw Lang”, and a song collaboration with Maya and Michael Pangilinan, “Kung Ako Na Lang Sana”.

It features bonus tracks such as her greatest hits “Walang Iba”, a song originally sung by Ezra Band, and “Isang Araw”, her single under Star Music’s OPM Fresh album compilation.

Kaye’s song “Nyebe”, part of Himig Handog’s P-Pop Love Songs for 2016, is also part of the album alongside “Give Me a Chance”, a single included in the successful soundtrack of the TV series, Til I Met You.

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN

Her songs in this album will surely become romantic hits as what the singer-guitarist has achieved in her previous acoustic covers.

Kaye, who hails from Davao del Sur, is a proud lesbian and member of the LGBT community. She has been making waves in the music industry with her soulful and uniquely ‘masculine’ singing voice.

Kaye Cal, produced by Rox Santos, is available at all record bars nationwide for only P199. Digital tracks may be downloaded on online music stores such as iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify.

Rox Santos (Album Producer) & Kaye Cal

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN

Kaye Cal and Rox Santos Of StarMusic (Over All Album Producer) - During the album PressCon and launch at ABsCBN